14 Dead 35 Injured After New Orleans Tragic Terrorist Attack

Fourteen people are dead, and 35 others are injured after a devastating terror attack shattered New Year’s celebrations on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. The suspect, 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, was shot and killed by police after driving a pickup truck into the crowded French Quarter and attempting to detonate explosives.

On December 30, 2024, Jabbar rented a Ford F-150 in Houston, Texas and drove to New Orleans on the evening of December 31st.

According to the FBI, Jabbar acted alone, despite early fears of accomplices. Investigators confirmed he had posted support for ISIS on Facebook just hours before the attack and an FBI press release confirms, "An ISIS flag was located in the vehicle." Jabbar had previously considered killing his own family. However, Jabbar reportedly decided that targeting his family would not advance what he saw as a religious war because it "would not focus on the war between the believers and disbelievers."

In the chaos following the attack, authorities recovered two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) placed in coolers. Fortunately, they did not detonate. Agents also ruled out four individuals seen opening one of the coolers as suspects but are seeking them for interviews.

Despite speculation, officials confirmed there is no connection between Jabbar’s attack and a separate Tesla explosion in Las Vegas. The FBI has received 400 tips so far as they work to piece together Jabbar’s movements leading up to the tragedy.

The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office is in the process of identifying the victims and may need several days to release all their names. Meanwhile, authorities continue to ask anyone with information about Jabbar’s activities in the past 72 hours to contact the FBI tip line immediately.